How do you semi permanantly join kato locos

[Paradise275]

OK thanks.
All my units are powered with sound. (I like to run long trains with 2 to 2.5% grades on the club layout).

I was hoping just to link the pick ups.

Rick

[jdcolombo]

Rick, maybe I missed it, but what kind of sound decoder are you using?

If you are looking for a way to avoid sound drop outs, you might consider adding one or two 20v 150uf tantalum chip (SMD) caps.   These caps are rectangular, 7mm long by 4mm wide by 4mm deep.  I can fit them even in my hood diesels.   Here is a photo of an Atlas RS3 that I converted to sound using an ESU LokSound Select Micro.   At the very front of the speaker is a 16v, 220uf tantalum cap that I use for keep alive (it's the yellow thingy at the end of the speaker):



I'd find it hard to believe that an E unit doesn't have enough room for at least one of these, if not two wired in parallel (you might have to mill the frame a bit, but they honestly don't take up much room).

I use 16v caps, but that is because I keep my track voltage at 11.5v.   If you're not sure what the track voltage is where you are running your units, a 20v cap would be preferable, since tantalum capacitors explode (literally) when they fail.  You can get these caps at Digikey or Mouser.   Here's a link to Digikey:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/T491X157K020AT/399-4794-1-ND/1085513

John C.

[rrjim1]

OK thanks.
All my units are powered with sound. (I like to run long trains with 2 to 2.5% grades on the club layout).

I was hoping just to link the pick ups.

Rick

In you case, yes, you can just run wires to each loco from the pickups.

[mmagliaro]

A Kato E Unit has gobs of room in it.

This isn't even a DCC job, but I put an NGineering MARS light module in it, two SMD rectifiers, and an SMD cap
(to make the MARS light flicker-free and come on before the motor starts moving).
The only milling I did on this frame was along the sides so I could put Broadway Limited shell on it.

[Paradise275]

I'm using MRC sound decoders. I have enough problems with the A units getting the shell to fit properly because of the way the light is on the board and Kato's black cab piece causing the shell not to lock on properly. I tried a digitrax decoder in one drilling out for the speaker and capacitor it came with. VERY dissapointed!
The MRC deciders work great but stall out with any dirty track. That's why I wnat to link them.

Rick

[strummer]

A Kato E Unit has gobs of room in it.

This isn't even a DCC job, but I put an NGineering MARS light module in it, two SMD rectifiers, and an SMD cap
(to make the MARS light flicker-free and come on before the motor starts moving).
The only milling I did on this frame was along the sides so I could put Broadway Limited shell on it.

Jeez Max, have you ever bought an engine, take it out of the box, and just run it?! 

Mark in Oregon

[u18b]

I love what you did.



 

[Bob Horn]

I have done 8-10 Digitrax E unit sound decoders. There is no problem at all. I use a 100uf 16V cap which is about 1/4" by 1/8". There is plenty of room to mount the componets, and the sound is very acceptable. Bob.

[Paradise275]

OK.
If I want to use a Keep alive cap with my MRC decoders, how do I wire them in and what should I use for the E-8's?

Rick

[mmagliaro]

Jeez Max, have you ever bought an engine, take it out of the box, and just run it?! 

Mark in Oregon

In a word, "No"   

[Bob Horn]

Rick, no idea, I threw out the last one I had several years ago. Bob.

[Bob Horn]

The Digitrax SDN144K0a has a cap wired on the board. Just clip the large cap off and solder the much smaller cap to the leads. Bob